Vise



United States Patent once Patented July 18, 1961 2,992,665 vIsE David Mertz, 19386 Ryan Road, Detroit 34, Mich. Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,713 6 Claims. (Cl. 144-303) The present invention relates to a quick-set clamping device which may be quickly moved into engagement with a piece to be clamped, and thereafter operated to exert relatively great clamping pressure thereon and refers more particularly to improvements therein to insure the operation thereof in a minimum of time with a minimum of effort.

A quick-set clamping device the operation and manufacture of which it is desired to facilitate by means of improvements thereon according to the present invention is disclosed in United States Patent Number 2,760,535. In the operation of such quick-set clamping devices it has been found desirable to maintain the lock member in a substantially horizontal position while the stud is relatively loose to permit movement of the lock and jaw members along the slot within the base without the engagement of the serrations on the lock and base. Also it is advantageous with such a clamping device to provide means to prevent binding between the serrations on the lock and those on the base during engagement thereof.

Furthermore the stability of the jaw member of such devices may be improved to facilitate the operation thereof. Likewise clamping devices such as that disclosed in the referenced patent'operate more efliciently when means are provided to facilitate the pivoting and the locating of the stud connecting the jaw and lock members. i

Therefore it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a quick-set clamping device including means for maintaining the lock member substantially parallel to the base member in assembly thereof.

Another object is to provide a quick-set clamping device including means for preventing binding of serrations thereon during clamping thereof.

Another object is to provide a quick-set clamping device wherein'the stud connecting the lock and jaw members includes means to facilitate includes positioning means.

Another object is to provide a quick-set clamping device wherein the jaw member includes a downwardly extending guide leg on each side thereof formed to fit within longitudinal guide recesses on each side on the top of said base member whereby the stability of the jaw member during longitudinal movement thereof along said base is increased.

More specifically it is an object to provide a quick-set clamping device including a lock member which is resiliently biased to pivot about a pivot connection between the stud connecting the lock member to the jaw member whereby the 'lock member is maintained substantially parallel to the base of said clamping device when in assembly therewith.

More specificallydt is an object to provide a quick-set clamping device including spring pressed balls held within the locking member thereof and extending above the serrated surface thereof with the outermost surface of the balls in line with the crest of a serration whereby the crests'of the serrations on the surface of a base or a lock strip secured thereto are guided into grooves of the mating serrations on the surface of the lock member when a piece is clamped by said clamping device. 7

More specifically, it is an object to provide a quick-set clamping device including a stud connecting the lock member and clamp member thereof having a conical surface therearound for locating thereof by means of a spring pressed ball and having a spherical member attached to pivoting thereof and also the undersurface of the stud head to facilitate pivoting of said stud about the head thereof.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section view of an improved quick-set clamping device according to the invention taken on line 11 of FIGURE 2. i

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the clamping device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a crossseetion of the clamping device of FIGURE 1 taken on the line 33 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a partial section of the lock member of the clamping device of FIGURE 1 taken on the line 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view of a partial longitudinal section of the device shown in FIGURE 1 illustrating the means to prevent binding of the serrations on the lock member and on the lock strip taken on line 5- -S in FIG- URE 3.

In the particular embodiment of the improved quickset clamping device of the invention illustrated in the drawings, there is provided a base 10 formed as shown and having an elongated slot 12 lengthwise thereof. A

fixed head or anvil 14 is provided on base 10 adjacent one end of slot 12. The outer surfaces of said base at opposite sides of said slot are smooth as indicated at 16. However, on the inner surface of said base at opposite sides of said slot, serrated areas 18 are provided. The serrated areas are most efliciently provided by forming the serrations on a separate slotted lock strip 20 which as illustrated is retained in position within base 10 by set screws 22.

Slidably mounted on the smooth surfaces 16 of base of base 10 at the top thereof as shown best in FIGURE 3. The jaw 24 is movable toward and away from the anvil 14 to clamp a workpiece (not shown) therebetween. The legs '21 in conjunction with recesses 25 guide the .jaw

24 for stable movement along base 10. The jaw 24isl further provided with an opening 28 extending obliquely therethrough, the opening being laterally enlarged in the plane of FIGURE 1.

Extending through the opening 28 in jaw 24 is a socket headed stud 30, which is rockable in the opening 28. As-

shown best in FIGURE 1, stud 30 is provided with a" hemispherical member 31 sleeved thereon andsecured to i the underside of the socket head thereof to facilitate pivoting of said stud about said head within the hemispherical seat 33 provided therefor in opening 28. Stud 30 as shown best in FIGURE 1 is also provided with a conical positioning surface 35 therearound which in conjunction with the spring pressed ball '48 tends to maintain the stud in the position illustrated in FIGURE 1 relative to the jaw member 24 as will be more fully explained later.

The surface 35 may for example be inclined to the straight sides of the stud 30 at an angle of approximately 1.5 and may be sufficiently long to provide a shoulder '37 on stud 30 of .010 inch.

As previously indicated, at the inner side of the slot 12 there is provided a lock member 32 which spans the slot; and has a serrated surface engageable with the serrations t on the surfaces 18 to retain the lock member against movement along the slot. .As illustrated, the serrations are symmetrical 60 serrations but while this offers some definite advantages, the angle of the serrations may be. varied and they need not be symmetrical. The pitch :of: h serrations ra ia em sd tn nt Q th jPYQlltiQElr was $4 of an inch, but -the essential requirement is only that the pitch be related to the longitudinal adjustment of the jaw at each setting such that clamping pressure may be applied by the jaw in any position along the slot.

The lock member 32 is provided with a cylindrical recess or,seat 34 extending laterally therethrough as shown in FIGURE 1. Rotatably mounted in the seat 34 is a cylindrical nut 36. The nut 36 with stud 30 engaged therewith is rockable in the seat 34. The nut 36 has a recess 38 formed therein into which a spring pressed ball 40 is biased.

The ball 40 bearing against the recess 38 formed in nut 36 in conjunction with the spring 41 held within the longitudinal passage 43 within lock member 32 by plug 45 will tend to cause the lock member 32 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about cylindrical nut 36 to produce knee action between lock-member 32 and stud 30 due to the positioning of the ball 40 below the center of the nut 36 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The tendency of lock member 32 to rotate counterclockwise about nut 36 under bias of spring 41 will cause surface 47 of lock member 32 to tend to contact stud 30. The lock member 32 will therefore be limited in counterclockwise rotation by stud 30 and will tend to assume a position substantially parallel with respect to base 10 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The maintaining of the lock member 32 mounted on stud 30 in a parallel relation with respect to the base 10 as the stud 30 is unscrewed to provide clearance between the lock member 32 and lock strip 20 in the manner described above permits movement of the jaw 24 longitudinally of the base 10 without undesirable engaging of the serrations on lock member 32 and lock strip 20. This is true since the serrations at the left in FIGURE 1 on lock member 32 are caused to rotate out of engagement with the serrations on lock strip 20 by means of spring 41 and ball 40 while the serrations on the right on lock member 32 are caused to cam over the serrations on lock strip 20 by the cam action of balls 49 and their associated spring protruding through the serrated surface on the right side of the lock member 32 as shown.

The threaded stud 30 engages the nut 36 and when rotated by a tool draws the lock '32 and jaw 24 toward each other. When this takes place, the serrations on the lock engage the serrations on the surface 18 and prevent movement of the lock longitudinally of the slot 12. Further rotation of the stud moves the jaw along the surface 16 of the base in a direction to decrease the separation between lock member 32 and jaw 24 longitudinally of the slot 12. This is accompanied by rocking of the stud 30 in the plane of FIGURE 1.

In order to prevent the binding of the serrations on lock member 32 and the serrations on lock strip 20 due to the possible matching of the crests thereof during engagement, a pair of spring pressed balls 49 held within'locking member '32 as shown in FIGURE 3 are provided. The balls 49 as shown best in FIGURE are positioned with respect to the serrations on locking member 32 so that, the outermost portion of the balls protruding through the serrated surface is aligned with the crest of a serration and protrudes outwardly therefrom. With the spring pressed balls so positioned, should the crest of a serration on the lock strip 20 tend to align with the crest of a serration on the lock member 32, the balls 49 will be contacted first as the lock member approaches the lock strip andthe crests of the serrations will be guided there by toward the grooves of mating serrations.

The spring pressed balls 49 also tend to prevent the serrations on the locking member 32 from contacting the mating serrations on lock strip 20 during movement of the lock member to the right in FIGURE 1 due to the counterclockwise bias applied. to lock member 32 by spring 41. Balls 49 serve to maintain clearance between the serrations on the lock member 32 and those on the lock strip 20 during relative longitudinal movement therebetweenby-camming over the serrations in the lock strip 20 as they are moved longitudinally with lock member 3 2 To cause automatic relative positioning of the jaw 24 and lock 32 when the stud is loosened to provide for maximum clamping movement of the jaw after the lock member is seated in the serrated surface 18, resilient means are provided to rock the stud 30 in ardirection to increase the separation between the jaw and lock members longitudinally of the slot 12. The resilient means comprises a ball 48 engaging a conically shaped portion of stud 30 and received in a bore 50 in the jaw 24. The bore 50 is threaded and receives a threaded plug 52 an d between the plug 52 and ball 48 is a compression spring 54. This construction causes stud 30 to rock clockwise as seen in FIGURE 1, about an axis adjacent the head of the stud, and with the lock member 3-2 stationary results in movement of the jaw 24 to the right in this figure. However it will be noted that movement of jaw 24 to the right as shown in FIGURE 1 to produce automatic unlocking of a member clamped between jaw 24 and anvil 14 will take place on unscrewing stud 30 only if spring 54 is stronger than spring 41.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, passage 28 is provided with a hemispherical seat 33 in the upper end thereof in which a hemispherical bearing member 31, which is sleeved over and secured to the underside of the head of bolt 30, is seated. This hemispherical bearing member may be easily and economically produced and attached to bolt 30. The seating of the modified head of bolt 30 in a seat 33 as above described facilitates the pivotal I movement of the bolt 30 during clamping and unclamping of the clamping device of the invention.

The conical surface 35 formed on the shaft of bolt 30 as indicated best in FIGURE 1 in conjunction with-ball 48 and spring 54 provides a means of positioning bolt 30 within passage 28 as previously described. The conic-a1 nature of the surface 35 allows slight variance in the axial positioning thereof during manufacturing without causing misalignment with the ball 48 in assembly of the clamping device. Clamping devices having conical positioning surfaces around studs 30 may therefore beproduced more economically than devices having studs with positioning surfaces thereon which would require exact alignment with the ball 48 thereby causing discard of studs whereon the surfaces are produced slightly out of alignment with ball 48.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the stud is loosened sufficiently, the entire sub-assembly comprising the jaw, stud and lock, may be moved with substantial freedom along the slot to any desired position. However, when the stud is tightened, the lock member first engages the serrated surface 18, and thereafter the jaw is formed to move along the slot in clamping relation to a piece between the anvil '14 and jaw 24.

During the movement of the jaw, stud and lock along slot 12 inbase v10 the ball 40 and spring 41 in conjunction with the cylindrical nut 36 provide a knee action for lock member 32 thereby maintaining the lock member in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the base 10 as previously described. The spring pressed balls 49 act to earn the lock member 32 over the serrations on the lock strip 20 during movement of the lock member 32 along slot 12.

As described above, the spring pressed balls 49 further act to prevent binding between the serrations on lock member 32 and the serrations on lock strip 20 by tending to guide the crest of the serrations on the lock strip into the grooves of the serrations on the lock member as the clamping device is clamped to a workpiece. Also during the clamping of the clamping device to a piece the pivoting of the stud 30 about the head thereof is greatly facilitated by the hemispherical member 31 secured thereto as described. Furthermore,v as the device is unclamped from a workpiece, the positioning of the stud'30 the opening 28 seats tojcause thejaw 24 to move away from the piece clamped in the clamping device is aided by the conical positioning surface 35 thereon which as previously indicated need not be located axially with extreme accuracy. t

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved quick-set clamp in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is: p

1. A quick-set clamping device comprising a generally rectangular base having an elongated slot therein, the surfaces of the outer side of said base at opposite sides of said slot being smooth, the surfaces at the inner side of said base at opposite sides of said slot having a series of longitudinally spaced lock seats, a fixed jaw on said base at one end of said slot, a movable jaw spanning said slot and having a central portion slidable along said smooth surfaces at the outer side of said base, guide means operable between the movable jaw and said base stabilizing and guiding the movable jaw during movement thereof along said base, an adjustable lock member spanning said slot at the inner side of said base and having parts receivable in said seats to provide for step-bystep positioning of said lock member along said slot, a nut carried by said lock member for relative rocking movement in the plane of said slot, said jaw member having an enlarged opening therethrough, a headed stud extending through the opening in said jaw member and angularly movable relative thereto in a plane extending longitudinally of said slot, said stud being threadedly engaged in said nut and extending obliquely to the length of said slot, and a spring pressed ball carried by said lock member and operable between said lock member and nut to provide automatic knee action between said lock member and said stud tending to maintain the upper serrated surface of said lock member parallel to said surfaces at the inner side of said base.

2. A quick-set clamping device comprising a generally rectangular base having an elongated slot therein, the surfaces of the outer side of said base at opposite sides of said slot being smooth, the surfaces at the inner side of said base at opposite sides of said slot having a series of longitudinally spaced lock seats, a fixed jaw on said base at one end of said slot, a movable jaw spanning said slot and having a central portion slidable along said smooth surfaces at the outer side of said base, guide means operable between the movable jaw and said base stabilizing and guiding the movable jaw during movement thereof along said base, an adjustable lock member spanning said slot at the inner side of said base and having parts receivable in said seats to provide for step-bystep positioning of said lock member along said slot, a nut carried by said lock member for relative rocking movement in the plane of said slot, said jaw member having an enlarged opening therethrough, a headed stud extending through the opening in said jaw member and angularly movable relative thereto in a plane extending longitudinally of said slot, said stud being threadedly engaged in said nut and extending obliquely to the length of said slot, a recess in said nut, a spring pressed ball carried by said lock member positioned to seat in a recess in said nut, the axis of movement of which is located offset from the axis of rocking movement between said lock member and nut and operable to provide automatic knee action therebetween tending to maintain the upper serrated surface of said lock member parallel to said surfaces at the inner side of said base.

3. A quick-set clamping device comprising a generally rectangular base having an elongated slot therein, the surfaces of the outer side of said base at opposite sides of said slot being smooth, the surfaces at the inner side of said base at opposite sidesof said slot having a series of longitudinally spaced tlock seats, a fixed jaw on said base at one end of said slot, a movable jaw spanning said slot and having a central portion slidable along said smooth surfaces at the outer side of said base, guide means operable between the movable jaw and said base stabilizing and guiding the movable jaw during movement thereof along said base, an adjustable lock member spanning said slot at the inner side of said] base and having parts receivable in said seats to provide for step-bystep positioning of said lock member along said slot, a nut carried by said lock member for relative rocking movement in the plane of said slot, said jaw member having an enlarged opening therethrough, a headed stud extending through the opening in said jaw member and angularly movable relative thereto in a plane extending longitudinally of said slot, said stud being threadedly engaged in said nut and extending obliquely to the length of said slot, means operably associated with said lock member and nut to provide automatic knee action therebetween, an annular positioning recess in said stud below its head, and a spring pressed ball carried by said movable jaw member and operable to bear against the surface of said positioning recess on said stud in a direction to tend to cause separating movement between said jaw member and locking member, said recess being in the form of a frusto-cone with the axis thereof congruent with the axis of said stud.

4. A quick-set clamping device comprising a base having an elongated slot therein, a jaw on said base at one end of said slot, a movable jaw spanning said slot and slidable along said base, an adjustable lock member spanning said slot at the inner side of said base, a nut carried by said lock member for relative rocking movement in the plane of said slot, said movable jaw member having an enlarged opening therethrough, a headed stud extending through the opening in said movable jaw member and angularly movable relative thereto in a plane extending longitudinally of said slot, said stud being threadedly engaged in said nut and extending obliquely to the length of said slot, and a spring pressed ball carried by said lock member and operable between said lock member and nut to provide automatic knee action between said lock member and said stud tending to maintain the upper surface of said lock member parallel to the surface at the inner side of said base.

5. A quick-set clamping device comprising a generally rectangular base having an elongated slot therein, the surfaces of the outer side of said base at opposite sides of said slot being smooth, the surfaces at the inner side of said base at opposite sides of said slot having a series of longitudinally spaced lock seats, a fixed jaw on said base at one end of said slot, a movable jaw spanning said slot and having a central portion slidable along said smooth surfaces at the outer side of said base, guide means opera'ble between the movable jaw and said base stabilizing and guiding the movable jaw during movement thereof along said base, an adjustable lock member spanning said slot at the inner side of said base and having parts receivable in said seats to provide for step-by-step positioning of said lock member along said slot, a nut carried by said look member for relative rocking movement in the plane of said slot, said jaw member having an enlarged opening there/through, a headed stud extending through the opening in said jaw member and angularly movable relative thereto in a plane extending longitudinally of said slot, said stud being threadedly engaged in said nut and extending obliquely to the length of said slot, an annular positioning recess in said stud below its head, and a spring pressed ball carried by said movable jaw member and operable to bear against the surface of said positioning recess on said stud in a direction to tend to cause separating movement between said jaw member and locking member, said recess being in the form of a frusto-cone with the axis thereof congruent with the axis of said stud.

6. A'quick-set clamping device comprising a base having an elongated slot therein, a jaw on said base at one end of said slot, a movable jaw spanning said slot and slidable along said base, an adjustable lock member span- 7 ning said slot at the inner side of said base, a nut-carried by said lock member for relative rocking movement in the'plane of said slot, said movable jaw member having an enlarged opening therethrough, a headed stud extending through the opening in said movable jaw member and angularly movable relative thereto in a plane extending longitudinally of said slot, said stud being threadedly engaged in said nut and extending obliquely to the length oi said slot, an annular positioning recess in said stud below its head, and a spring pressed ball carried by said movable jaw member and operable to bear against the surface of said positioning recess on said stud in a direction to tend to cause separating movement between said jaw mem- 540,4 13 Vanderbeek -June 4, 1895 1,039,337 Vandenbeek Sept. 24, 1912 "1,729,796 North Oct. 1, 1929 2,552,738 Renner May 15, 1951 760,535 Mertz Aug. 28, 1956 

